Heraldry for Beginners

The Charges

You can put pretty much anything you like on a shield. All such design elements (including ordinaries and subordinaries) are called charges. Most of the common objects and animals have heraldic names. The positions for animals all have heraldic names (see Blazon and Emblazon).

Ordinaries

The earliest, simplest field patterns are called honourable ordinaries most of which arise naturally out of the field divisions. Note that the pall is a representation of the pallium, part of the vestments of an archbishop, so should only be used by such a personage.

Pale	Fess	Bend
Bend sinister	Chevron	Saltire
Cross	Chief	Pile	Pall

Sub-ordinaries

Later, more complex patterns are called subordinaries.

Quarter	Canton	Gyron	Billet
Bordure	Orle	Tressure	Inescutcheon
Lozenge	Fusil	Mascle	Rustre
Flaunche	Label	Roundel	Fret

Animals

Many animals, both real and fantastic have appeared as charges. Here are some of the more common heraldic names.

Antelope	While there is a heraldic “antelope” based on inaccurate information available in medieval times, using the natural animal is probably better now.
Camelopard	Heraldic name of the giraffe.
Cat-a-Mountain	Heraldic name for a wild cat with tufted ears, a lynx.
Centaur	Mythical creature with the head, neck, arms, and torso of a man coming from the body of a horse.
Chimera	Mythical monster with a human face, a lion’s mane and legs, a goat’s body, and dragon’s tail.
Cockatrice	Mythical monster, basically a wyvern with a rooster’s head.
Dragon	Mythical monster with two wings and four legs. See also wyvern.
Eagle	The natural animal. Sometimes depicted as two-headed.
Greyhound	The natural animal.
Griffin	Mythical monster with the forepart of an eagle including thewings and the hindpart of a lion including the tail, always includes visible ears. A male griffin specifies that there are no wings and has spikes emerging from the body.
Harpy	Mythical monster with the head and bust of a woman and the lower parts of a vulture.
Hart	A stag. A normal male deer.
Hind	A doe. A normal female deer.
Hippocampus	A sea horse. See also Sea monster.
Hippogriff	Mythical monster with the top part of a griffin (including wings) and the lower part of a horse.
Leopard	The natural animal. In medieval heraldry it refered specifically to a “lion passant guardant”.
Lion	The natural animal.
Manticora	Mythical monster with the head of man, the horns of an ox, and a lion’s body. (Note that the classical manticora also has a scorpion’s tail.)
Merle	A blackbird.
Mermaid	Mythical creature usually depicted with comb and mirror.
Merman	Mythical creature usually depicted with flowing hair and beard and holding a trident.
Morse	A sea lion.
Opinicus	Mythical monster with an eagle’s head and neck (and sometimes wings), a lion’s body and legs, and a camel’s tail.
Ounce	A leopard (that is, the natural animal). For post-medieval heraldry, use leopard instead.
Owl	The natural animal, always drawn full-faced and with the body dexterwise.
Panther	A leopard, always depicted with fire coming from its mouth and ears, that is, as incensed.
Pegasus	A winged horse.
Phoenix	Mythical bird, always depicted as rising from flames.
Popinjay	A small parrot with green feathers and red beak and legs.
Python	Heraldic snake with wings.
Rere mouse	A bat.
Sagittarius	A centaur holding a bow and arrow.
Salamander	Mythical monster, represented as a lizard surrounded by flames.
Sea monster	Heraldic monster of various sorts, usually drawn with the forepart of the land animal (ape, bear, dog, horse, lion, and so on) usually with flippers on the forelegs, and the tail of a fish.
Sphinx	Mythical creature with the a woman’s head and bust, a lion’s body, and an eagle’s wings.
Talbot	A hound or hunting dog.
Unicorn	Mythical monster with a horse’s body, cloven hooves, lion’s tail, and a spiral horn on its forehead.
Urchin	Heraldic name for a hedgehog.
Wyvern	Mythical monster with a dragon’s wings and forepart and the body tapering into a barbed tail.

Objects

Most common objects have special heraldic names when used as charges.

Anchor	Always shown without rope or chain unless described as “cabled”. The barbs are called flukes and the crossbar, if a different tincture from the rest, is “beamed” of that tincture.
Ancient	A small flag on the stern of a ship.
Annulet	A ring.
Arquebus	A type of antique gun, developed before the musket.
Cartouche	The oval field on which a church dignatary’s arms (a shield being inappropriate to that calling); sometimes used for a lady’s arms.
Casque	A helmet.
Castle	Usually shown as two towers with battlements connected by a short battlemented wall with a portcullis in the centre.
Charger	A large plate.
Cornucopia	A ram’s horn with fruit flowing from the open end. The horn of plenty.
Crescent	A half or three-quarter moon with horns upwards.
Cross	One of the ordinaries, but it also appears in various forms as a smaller charge.
Decrescent	A crescent moon with horns to sinister.
Escallop	A cockle shell.
Fleur-de-lis	The heraldic lily.
Garb	A sheaf of grain, wheat unless otherwise specified.
Garde-visure	The vizor of a helmet.
Gauntlet	A metal glove.
Glaive	Javelin or throwing spear.
Habergeon	Short, sleeveless coat of mail.
Hurst	A small clump of trees.
Lozenge	The diamond-shaped field on which a lady’s arms are usually displayed.
Mullet	a star of five points unless more are specified.
Ogress	A pellet.
Pavilion	A tent with projecting entrance.
Pheon	Metal head of a dart or arrow.
Pommel	Knob at the top of the hilt of a sword or dagger.
Portcullis	A grille used to block a doorway.
Quintain	A tilting post.
Rose	Depicted with five petals and a large centre, with short, pointed leaves between the petals.
Roundel	A disc. Certain colours have specail names that may be used: for Or, “bezant”; for Argent, “plate”; for Azure, “hurt”; for Gules, “toreau”; for Sable, “pellet”; for Vert, “pomme”.
Sang	Blood.
Shield	The field of a coat of arms. Usually resembling an inverted triangle under a rectangle. See also Targe, Lozenge, and Cartouche.
Targe	A circular shield.
Tun	A large barrel.
Wood	Five or more trees.
Wyvern	Mythical monster, basically a dragon with two wings and two legs.

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Heraldry information compiled and organised by Timber Bram.
Copyright © 2001.